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Duet Direct

5.10+, Trad, Alpine, 200 ft (61 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 3.9 from 85 votes
FA: Hartrich, Schwarm 1974
New Hampshire > Cannon Cliff > 2. Duet Area etc
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Description

Duet Direct is a stout and neglected two-pitch route near the popular one pitch climbs of Slow and Easy and Sticky Fingers. The first pitch is an excellent warm up for the business on the second pitch. Here, expect Devil's Tower-style stemming and Yosemite-quality granite. I'm surprised that this excellent and well-protected route doesn't get more traffic.

Pitch 1 (5.8, 100ft): Climb up thin but seemingly sold flake systems, using a combination of techniques. This pitch is fun and leads to a comfortable stance and a belay/rap station.

Pitch 2 (5.10+ 120ft): Climb the steep corner by stemming, jamming, and laybacking--sometimes using all three techniques at once. This pitch is very well protected and given the steep angle and the solid, clean rock, it's easy to forget you're at Cannon. Finish the route at a two bolt anchor on a perfect ledge.

Descent: Ideally, use double 70m ropes to rap to the ground. Double 60m ropes MIGHT make the ground with rope stretch, but be sure to tie knots in case yours have shrunk! A single 70m MIGHT make the fixed-gear belay at the top of P1; but again be sure to tie knots in case you come up short! At any rate, be mindful of where the rope runs, as the cracks can be rope-eaters.

Location

Duet Direct climbs up the left side of Duet Buttress, which is located left of the central wall and right of the Black Dike area. It is identified by the soaring, steep, and clean dihedral on the second pitch.

Protection

Cannon rack plus doubles in the mid-sizes (from yellow Alien through yellow Camalot), helmet, calves of steel.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

duet direct<br>
[Hide Photo] duet direct
Looking down after the climbing eases up... might have run it out a bit out of joy over the sweet hand crack
[Hide Photo] Looking down after the climbing eases up... might have run it out a bit out of joy over the sweet hand crack
Finishing the corner
[Hide Photo] Finishing the corner
pretty corner<br>
[Hide Photo] pretty corner
Starting up Duet Direct (5.10+) at Cannon.
[Hide Photo] Starting up Duet Direct (5.10+) at Cannon.
Torie following the Direct
[Hide Photo] Torie following the Direct

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Andrei Patricio
Lowell, MA
[Hide Comment] If you like the last pitch of Recompense at Cathedral, you will like this one too. It's longer and harder and more sustained but very well protected. Jan 17, 2009
john strand
southern colo
 
[Hide Comment] .... and not at all the same Feb 17, 2010
[Hide Comment] nope john is correct in all venues. Not even comparable the only thing they have in common is that they're both dihedrals, Duet is thinner and has no rest ledges. Full value NH 10+. Mar 5, 2010
jason seaver
Estes Park, CO
 
[Hide Comment] And Hartrich called it 5.9. This route is SOOOO good! Mar 7, 2010
redpoint robby
Dover, NH
[Hide Comment] If you want to work this thing the anchor can be reached via Duet, a more moderate option. May 16, 2010
E thatcher
Plymouth/ North Conway (NH)
 
[Hide Comment] Jay, I rapped duet today with one 70m and we had to down climb to get to the second rappel. Did we miss the anchor or has it moved? it was 4 fixed nuts and hexes. At any rate, it was not possible to rappel this route in two raps with a 70m in the state that the anchors are in now. May 22, 2010
Jay Knower
Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] Thanks for the correction Erik. I made the change. What did you guys think of the route? May 23, 2010
E thatcher
Plymouth/ North Conway (NH)
 
[Hide Comment] We were rapping down it after doing raven crack. But it is on the docket for tomorrow so we shall see... May 23, 2010
john strand
southern colo
 
[Hide Comment] 9+ Bradley ?? THAT'S a good one. Let's get Diedre back to 5.8 now. Feb 2, 2011
Peter W
Salt Lake City
[Hide Comment] It's possible to rap Duet Direct with a 70m, though the rap down to P1 belay you should make sure you have an extra double length sling handy to put yourself into the anchor since it is very close. Also the last person on rappel should have a single knot in the rope so it doesn't spring up and out of reach after they are off. Or use two ropes if you prefer. Oct 24, 2011
[Hide Comment] 9+? have you not climbed this bradley? that's some asinine shit. Nov 4, 2011
john strand
southern colo
 
[Hide Comment] I MIGHT give it 9+ every move... and the crux. Nov 4, 2011
lucander
Stone Ridge, NY
  5.10b/c
[Hide Comment] This would get climbed as often as Book of Solemnity and Nutcracker if it were a few minutes closer to the parking lot. Toproping this climb is ridiculous, it is as "G" as 5.10 can be. Don't miss the bonus on rappel and go back up the regular Duet, that's a pitch worth doing. Jan 16, 2012
Ryder Stroud
Seattle, WA
 
[Hide Comment] Steep and glorious. If you are looking to test your trad pump endurance without getting into dicey gear situations, this route is for you. Great gear the whole way. Have faith passing the pod. Decent jams are not far off!

No single move felt like .10+. Instead the crux is very long with a bunch of stacked .10 moves in a row. Shake out and keep going!

For those interested:

- Gear: If this is at your limit and you want to sew it up (like I did), climb the pitch with triples of #.75 and #1 cams. Doubles of the #.2 X4 are nice for when things get thin and you want gear. Keeping doubles of #.3, #.4, and #.5 is nice, even if superfluous (good psych pro, I guess). 1 #2 and 1 #3 should do the trick post crux and on up to the anchors. Take any extra finger-sized pieces that help keep your head game in check about leading this long pitch... or just be a rope gun...

- Rappel: 2 60m ropes will JUST make it down to the ground. Another team that rapped from Raven Crack (shared rap anchor at the top of the Duet Buttress) reached the easy ledges a few feet off the ground (easy, short down-scramble); 2 70m ropes will be plenty (what we did) . Otherwise, plan on rapping to the first belay station (fixed nuts and a hex), but even then, one 70m rope is cutting it close... Jul 30, 2014
Jay Knower
Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] I might be so bold as to call the Duet Direct crux pitch the best 5.10 pitch in New Hampshire. Jul 31, 2014
john strand
southern colo
 
[Hide Comment] maybe..for sure top 5 Jul 31, 2014
bradley white
Bend
  5.9+
[Hide Comment] I climbed this referring to Ross and Elm's little red guide book and in here its 5.9. I've climbed it more than once. Its a Hartrich 5.9 and Duet is 5.7. Maybe its 5.9 in EB's. JK. Its easier to place gear and way harder to follow clean getting out stuck gear. Sep 17, 2015
Brad Ward
New Hampshire
[Hide Comment] One of the best 5.10s in NH. Sep 25, 2015
Steve Marshall
Concord NH
[Hide Comment] i thought the first pitch of this would be the 1st pitch of "Duet" which is a 5.7 that ends with a fixed gear anchor (was a couple hexes and a nut or two when I was there)

is there another variation to get to that same belay that goes at 5.8? I looked around but the most obvious line is P1 Duet. that worked well enough and was an interesting climb. Aug 1, 2016
Silas Miller
Conway, NH
 
[Hide Comment] I would say this is one of the best pitches I've ever climbed! Sustained 5.9 moves for days, I wish it kept going! A 70m simul-rap will easily get you back to the top of the first pitch. Nice anchors too. Nov 21, 2016
Daniel Weisman
Seattle, WA
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] Probably the best single pitch of climbing I've done anywhere. This thing has all the best parts of granite climbing, plus a stellar position and solid pro. All-time classic anywhere. (Just sayin'!) Sep 25, 2017
Peter Cole
New Hampshire
[Hide Comment] Pitch 2 is one of the nicest pitches on the entire cliff for sure! Mar 26, 2018
Sean M
Victor, MT
  5.10+
[Hide Comment] took me 5 attempts over 2 years to finally bag this one. This route is a delightful heartbreaker, probably one-hung it 3 or 4 times. Major props if you are a 5.10/5.11 climber and grab the onsight; best advice is to just get creative with your stemming, plug gear, and keep moving through the hard bits.

I agree with the rack suggestions. Save a #2 for the last 30 feet and you can bump it all the way with you. I like to have doubles from #1 mastercam to 0.75 for the business middle section. If you're going to be pumped and nervous at the top, a #3 perfectly protects the final moves to the anchor, but isn't strictly necessary. Jul 15, 2019
stephen arsenault
Wolfeboro, NH
[Hide Comment] Certainly one of the best 5.10 pitches in the Northeast. One could easily imagine you're in Yosemite while you're on this climb. I never could understand why this was originally graded 5.9. Maybe Hartrich was feeling strong the day he put it up! Sep 13, 2021
Calvin Lee
Bristol, NH
[Hide Comment] beware the rope eating horn halfway down the rappel! it's about 6-8 feet tall and if your rope falls around it while pulling, there's no chance of freeing it from the ground. ask me how i know... Sep 26, 2022